Unofficial battle tips

12 posts in this topic

Tired of, and bothered to see ships charge blindly in combat I start this thread for discussion:

Note1: classes are not definite, Light and fast CAs with short main gun range may fit better in the CL & DD category. CL & DD is a very mixed basket with different individual roles - a different thread is required for their roles in battle to be further analysed. Mogami (1944) may play the CV role, CA role or a mix of both depending on setup, battle phase and conditions.

Note2: Phases are not clearly distinguished and lacking fleet communication captains should observe field and act accordingly.

CVs:Keep skies clear of enemy planes, If no enemy fighters in the air try to get some damage on enemy capital ships and break their line. Change positions often, keep close but behind main fleet.

CAs & BBs: fire at enemy ships as they come in range. If strong ships in range gang them, if only smaller pick them of individually. Manual aim is a must in extreme ranges. Surfaced subs are a priority.

If manual AA is available keep close to friendly main battle group and shoot down enemy planes. Gang up to kill charging enemy DDs and CLs

SSs: Try to bypass enemy small ships, concentrate on the big ones. Chance kills of DDs and CLs are welcome but risky. Engage enemy subs if you feel confident, diverting them from your battle line is equally important.

3rd phase: Battle is joined

Goal of third phase is to gain advantage by breaking up and overwhelming the enemy fleet.

CVs:Keep skies clear of enemy planes, If no enemy fighters in the air try to get some damage on enemy capital ships and break their line (killing enemy scouts is a priority). keep an eye on enemy subs.

CAs & BBs: Work as concise group, once enemy capital ships are in range pick them off one by one. Switch your target to most heavily damaged enemy in range (no absolute rule use discretion). Target is to reduce enemy numbers as fast as possible (damaged ships have exactly the same firepower as when full health). When targeted move to extreme range - make enemy miss their shots while your allies fight closer. If not targeted move closer to increase hit rate and relieve damaged allies. Keeping the enemy switching targets keeps more friendly ships alive - change positions inside your group, but don't break away. CAs out of range to enemy capital ships pick off smaller ships in range, support your CLs and DDs.

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I really like and agree with everything you said. I would just like to add / emphasize a couple of points.

A) If you are in a DD or CL, you are very maneuverable and fast compared to the bigger ships. Please go around them. It will only take your ship a few seconds to do so. Do not cut them off, force them to turn, or worst yet block and stop them. It takes them a long time to get moving again or get pointed back in the desired direction. Plus many of them have such a long range, they are not even looking at the part of the field where their ship is located. If you cause them to get stuck, immobile, or just pointed in the wrong direction it can greatly reduce their effectiveness and even make them quite vulnerable for relatively long periods of time.

B) Support each other. Especially late game against a tough enemy. Gang up on the big guys. You will rarely win by hiding in a corner of the field while the enemy picks off your allies one at a time.

C) The DD's, CL's, and SS's are the only ones that can find/track a submerged sub. The BB's, CA's, and CV's need your help in dealing with them. Often it is enough to just stay close enough to keep general track of where they are so that the BB's and CA's can shoot them when they eventually surface for air.

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Just a reminder to DD/CL player: Don’t try to be a lone wolf hero and rush into opponents! You can’t kill a BB but you can protect CV/BB from SS. The longer they stay in field, the bigger threats to the opponent.

bring your AA guns to field. Fighters of CVs sometimes just keep dogfighting with opponents’ fighters and they can’t shoot down torp planes. Your AA guns will save so much CV if you stay close with them.

Bring also your hedgehog too for SS and CL18.

Life matters! So many times I saw groups of DD and CL rushing into fires of BB......

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Life matters! So many times I saw groups of DD and CL rushing into fires of BB......

Shhh! that's how I get 100k damage with my BBs.

Jokes aside and in addition to what Davmak said, NEVER point your bow/stern at a ship firing its guns at you, you present a much bigger target. Always approach/retreat at an angle, use that extra speed as soon as you suspect you are targeted and manoeuvre hard to throw off any manual aim attempts.

Don't even try to go close enough to a BB to fire your torps/HHs unless you are in a coordinated gang (expect some losses there) or your target is preoccupied with another battle (this includes sacrificing your DD to save an allied BB - if your target turns its guns on you it doesn't hit an allied BB) AND no SS or CV is a plausible threat to your allies. You may fire torps with intend to force the enemy to manoeuvre/alter course if it suits the broader strategy.

The strength of DDs and CLs is in anti-sub, anti aircraft warfare and hunting unprotected CVs, CAs and BBs are quite vulnerable by subs and planes but very strong vs small ships. Work with your fleet, preserve your boat, shield your capital ships from the threats.

I would even suggest to avoid battle with other DDs and CLs unless: a) they try to gang up your capital ships (a salvo of torps can do the trick), b) to protect a submarine ally, c) you are confident you are much stronger eg. CL18 vs DD1/3 and d) there are no strong allies left.

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Jokes aside and in addition to what Davmak said, NEVER point your bow/stern at a ship firing its guns at you, you present a much bigger target. Always approach/retreat at an angle, use that extra speed as soon as you suspect you are targeted and manoeuvre hard to throw off any manual aim attempts.

Don't even try to go close enough to a BB to fire your torps/HHs unless you are in a coordinated gang (expect some losses there) or your target is preoccupied with another battle (this includes sacrificing your DD to save an allied BB - if your target turns its guns on you it doesn't hit an allied BB) AND no SS or CV is a plausible threat to your allies. You may fire torps with intend to force the enemy to manoeuvre/alter course if it suits the broader strategy.

The strength of DDs and CLs is in anti-sub, anti aircraft warfare and hunting unprotected CVs, CAs and BBs are quite vulnerable by subs and planes but very strong vs small ships. Work with your fleet, preserve your boat, shield your capital ships from the threats.

I would even suggest to avoid battle with other DDs and CLs unless: a) they try to gang up your capital ships (a salvo of torps can do the trick), b) to protect a submarine ally, c) you are confident you are much stronger eg. CL18 vs DD1/3 and d) there are no strong allies left.

Gangbanging is always better than 1-on-1, and the best way to hunt BB is using fast ships to dogfight with BB and let CV / SS kill them with torps.

DD dogfighting skill against BB:

move parallel with BB in zig-zac form. Move close me after BB shoot its heavy gun, circle around it to lure its gun away from your main fleet, use torps to force it turn aside to incoming torp planes......

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exactly, act your role in the fleet, think what is best for the fleet - not you. Never mind damage totals or kill numbers. Do what is needed for your side to win the battle even if that means playing a support role (what DDs, CLs and CVs* are meant to do anyway).

*partially. CVs have the duty to control the skies - including shooting down scouts - and killing capital ships.

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exactly, act your role in the fleet, think what is best for the fleet - not you. Never mind damage totals or kill numbers. Do what is needed for your side to win the battle even if that means playing a support role (what DDs, CLs and CVs* are meant to do anyway).

*partially. CVs have the duty to control the skies - including shooting down scouts - and killing capital ships.

So many new players using 5v5 beginner match in GB. When there is no CV, SS and BB, simplest way to win is send the ship front, torp, kill and die (i was also before, good way to farm steel :P)

however GB is another business, it needs more synergy and cooperation. Even one more extra shot of BB or SS can change the game in close combat.

Sink number doesn’t count much in game (just for achievement), I don’t mind letting DD/CL to sink an heavily damaged ship, and reserve my torpedos on other new target.

win together and earn 30 crew XP matter most.

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exactly, act your role in the fleet, think what is best for the fleet - not you. Never mind damage totals or kill numbers. Do what is needed for your side to win the battle even if that means playing a support role (what DDs, CLs and CVs* are meant to do anyway).

*partially. CVs have the duty to control the skies - including shooting down scouts - and killing capital ships.